


Ad Meliora

by QuoteMyFoot



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series, Persona Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Persona Fusion, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23206336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuoteMyFoot/pseuds/QuoteMyFoot
Summary: Rudolf's Palace was supposed to be the last one Alm and Celica needed to destroy to protect their city and save Mila. But confronting it brings all sorts of new challenges, and it becomes clear that Rudolf is a foe unlike any they've faced before. Despite their power of the Wild Card - the power to wield multiple Personas - and the help of their friends, Alm and Celica are unsure if they can win. And Celica's greatest fear may yet come to pass... but if there's anything in her power she can do to prevent it, she will.(A Persona crossover/AU, taking inspiration from Persona 5, with its own unique Echoes spin.)
Relationships: Alm/Anthiese | Celica, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 11
Collections: /r/FanFiction Prompt Challenge #17 / March 2020





	1. First Layer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that everything will become clear as you read on and the story will work for those who don't know Persona, but some quick Persona 5 terms to get you started.
> 
> Persona = a spirit representing a 'mask' you wear to the world. These can be used to battle enemies called Shadows. I'm using the Fire Emblem characters of other eras for this fic - tell me if you spot any of your favourites!  
> Wild Card = someone of the Fool Arcana who can wield mulitple Personas  
> Metaverse = a world of the collective human subconscious mind  
> Palace = representing the most extreme distorted viewpoints, these worlds reflect the views of their owners in a very literal way (eg, in Persona 5, a man who views people only as sources of income has humans appear as walking ATMs in his Palace)

Rudolf’s Palace was like a tale of two cities—literally. The turnwheel that connected Celica with Alm showed her what he was seeing as though she were looking directly out of his eyes; a black city of overcast clouds, full of people wandering around with a dark shadow behind them, formless except for the hands covering their eyes.

The vision shifted with Alm as he followed one of the people as they walked towards the edge of the cliff the city overlooked, heedless of danger. It was only a cognition, not a real person, but Celica’s stomach dropped away from her as they calmly stepped over the edge, falling, falling…

With a shake of her head the connection was severed, but she couldn’t get the image out of her head. A tangled, broken mess of blood and broken limbs at the bottom— _Alm, clutched in the Shadow’s giant hand, struggling to break free—but it squeezed and squeezed and Alm until—_

Celica shut her eyes, fighting to keep her lunch down.

‘ _Hey, you okay?’_

Alm’s voice, breaking through the nightmare in her head like a ray of sunshine through cloud cover. In the Metaverse, she could sense his feelings of warmth and concern through their connected turnwheels. She trusted Alm more than anyone, but she couldn’t tell him.

‘It’s just… not nice to see,’ Celica replied.

She hadn’t been able to tell him since she received her persona, and the turnwheel, from Mila. The words always got stuck in her throat. Maybe if she didn’t verbalise it, it would remain a dark fiction.

‘ _Yeah, I know,’_ Alm said. _‘It’s easily the worst we’ve seen.’_

‘And it’s only the first layer.’

‘ _Yeah.’_ Alm was silent for a moment. She felt his soul brighten as he added, _‘But yours – it’s not as grim?’_

Celica pressed her hand to the turnwheel and breathed deep, showing him the pure white city spread out before her team. The people here walked on clouds, the earth distant green below, and the sunshine was constant—everyone wore a smile.

‘ _A different kind of sinister,’_ was Alm’s verdict.

Celica frowned. ‘What makes you say that?’

‘ _Doesn’t the way they’re smiling look a little bit… empty?’_

She peered harder at the happy figures. She thought she understood what he meant, but… ‘I’d rather be here than in your first layer.’

‘ _Wouldn’t we all. Gray is already complaining; says it’s bound to get gooey and it will ruin his look.’_

Celica giggled. ‘He has a look?’

‘ _That’s what Kliff said.’_

She could imagine Kliff’s exact expression and tone of voice… Celica missed them all so much at times. She thought she’d hit the jackpot when she returned to the city she’d grown up in to find her childhood friends all still living there, even if they attended a different school. Between her schoolwork and all the duties of being one of Mila’s chosen Wild Cards, though, she hadn’t had much time to spend with them, just as friends.

Maybe when this was all over. Soon, hopefully…

‘ _Are you guys ready to start exploring the Palace?’_ Alm asked.

Celica glanced over to the team she’d chosen for their first excursion: Mae, Boey, and Saber. The others would be at the entrance guarding Genny, the guide, with the others staying behind to protect her, just in case. When Celica gave them an ‘okay?’ sign with a tilt of her head, Saber nodded, Boey smiled, and Mae gave her a double thumbs up to match her twin pigtails.

‘We can go whenever you’re ready,’ she told Alm.

She couldn’t see Alm’s smile, but she _felt_ it – a warm, delighted sensation that lifted her whole being and made her stand taller.

‘ _Let’s do this, then.’_

* * *

With Genny guiding them using her Persona _Larum,_ as she had always done, the four of them made rapid progress through the first layer of the Palace. Despite the angelic Shadows being strangely intelligent and cooperative, the tried and tested method of Saber leading the fight with his tough _Saizo_ and Mae, Boey, and Celica targeting the enemies’ weaknesses worked wonderfully.

Rudolf’s Palace was large and complex, though, and Genny’s estimates said they were barely a sliver of the way through the whole thing when they ran into their first blockade at towards the end of the layer.

“Solid as a rock,” Saber confirmed, striking the wall of light with his sword.

Celica frowned. _And we were going so well… I suppose Alm will have a chance to catch up now._ “Genny, what does _Larum_ say?”

“It’s a Bridge!” Genny’s persona could project her voice over great distances, making it sound like she was standing right next to Celica. “It’s of the Strength Arcana… and it reflects fire attacks. It feels very… old. Sorry, I can’t find out anything else…”

It would surely be enough for Alm. Celica’s hands flew to her turnwheel so she could speak to him. ‘Alm, we’ve reached a barrier. The Anchor should be on your side—Strength Arcana, very old, reflects fire—it might have Agi spells?’

There was a long pause before Alm replied. _‘Kliff says he’s found it, but we’re a little busy right now!’_ Even in her head, his voice sounded strained. _‘The Shadows on this side are very aggressive and we keep getting ambushed—at least we’re already on the right floor—’_

Celica winced as Alm cut himself off with a curse. They could be waiting a while before they’d be able to progress further.

‘ _Another ambush,’_ Alm explained. _‘Kliff says there’s two more enemies heading our way, and then we have to find this tiny key! I’ll let you know as soon as—’_

Celica didn’t hear the rest. Her attention was torn away from the turnwheel when Saber bellowed, “Kids, watch your backs!”

She whirled around to find a Shadow had snuck up behind Mae, and only Saber’s quick reaction stopped it from putting a claw in her back. But it wasn’t the only one. Celica’s throat closed tighter and tighter as she saw more and more Shadows coming from around the corner—trapped against the barrier, there was nowhere for them to run.

“Shit.” Saber grabbed Boey and all but threw him behind him, closer to the Bridge barrier. “Stay back there and don’t overextend yourself.”

Celica quickly changed her persona to _Kellam –_ strong and dependable – and cast Marakukaja. It was a steep energy investment, but it they would have to hold out until Alm could—

Alm. She had to tell him, but she just knew he would want to recklessly rush ahead to save them.

“There’s more Shadows coming up from the lower levels to your position, and fast!” Genny’s squeaked, her voice shaking. “Ten on this floor… you have to clear out this wave before more of them arrive, or…”

Celica swallowed. Alm would be reckless, but they didn’t have a choice. ‘Alm? I need you to hurry.’

‘ _Celica?’_

‘We have Shadows incoming—a lot—’

She was forced to cut herself off, using _Kellam’s_ Skull Cracker ability to push back a second Shadow attacking Saber. It staggered back, disoriented, walking into the wall instead of doubling back. Saber finished off the first Shadow with an attack from his persona and stabbed the second in the back with his sword. It collapsed into a pool of ichor on the floor, which slowly faded from existence.

More were coming, slowed by _Zio_ and _Garu_ spells cast by Mae and Boey. She only had a few moments to breathe.

‘ _Celica? Celica!’_

‘Just… just be as quick as you can, Alm. We’ll hold out.’

‘ _How many, Celica?’_

“I’m sending Valbar and the others to back you up,” Genny said firmly. “I can guide them past the largest groups of enemies and—”

“Genny, no!” Celica cried. “You need them there to protect yourself!”

Genny’s only reply was stubborn silence. Celica didn’t even have the time to offer up a prayer before—

‘ _How many?!’_

‘We can hold out,’ she said, desperately, but she could sense her own crumbling will, and she didn’t doubt Alm would be able to as well. ‘Alm, please, be careful—if you hurt yourself because of me, I don’t know what I’ll—’

He spoke over her pleas, his voice like steel. _‘How many are there?’_

‘I… there’s…’ She was aware that her own hesitation was damning enough. ‘It’s just that we’re trapped against the Bridge and the Shadows—but we have backup coming from the lower floors—it will be fine, just, please…’

There was silence for a second. Then, the response she’d been afraid of: _‘To hell with this,’_ Alm snarled, _‘I’m getting you out of there. Hold on!’_

‘Alm, no!’

She wanted to plead with him more, but there wasn’t time. She had to use _Kellam’s_ Vicious Strike to push a whole group of enemies back at once, but it was only temporary. She couldn’t afford to keep using physical skills and tire herself out. She was their most flexible persona-user; she had to be able to do whatever was needed.

_Alm… just… just be safe… please._

* * *

When Celica was being cagey, it was normally because she was in trouble and didn’t want to burden you. Alm’s imagination had conjured up terrible enough images of what Celica faced, and he didn’t want to wait to find out how bad the reality was.

“Faye, I’m leaving these with you,” Alm said, quickly reaching into his pockets to grab some shards of Agispells—crystallised leftovers of Shadows; Kliff claimed he could tell using his persona, _Soren._ “Celica’s in danger! Use these if you need fire—I’ve got to push on ahead, follow me when you can.”

“What?” Faye almost dropped the Agi Crystals in her shock. “Alm!”

He barely heard the last word because he was already running, using the speed of _Lyn_ to dart around the Shadows that stood between him and the doorway.

“Alm, you idiot!” Tobin shouted.

They’d be okay. He left the Agi Crystals with Faye because she had the best head on her shoulders, but they were all tough and they’d been with Alm since the very beginning. They knew what they were doing. And he knew what _he_ had to do.

He approached the door. No time to find the key. Even the Metaverse had to bend to the will of a persona. He sought the overwhelming strength of _Dimitri,_ calling the blue, armour-clad warrior into existence. When Alm directed _Dimitri’s_ lance at the doorway, putting all of his worry for Celica into the blow, and it struck with a force that made the floor tremble—and then keep trembling as the walls, for a split second, shimmered as though in a heat mirage.

“Alm, you’re damaging the construct of the Metaverse itself,” Kliff said dryly. “ _Whilst we’re in it._ This is a bad plan!”

“Celica is going to be overrun if I don’t _do_ something!”

He swung the lance down again. The door cracked, but then the crack vanished as though it had never been there in the first place. Alm gritted his teeth.

“…The keyhole is the weak point,” Kliff said. “It’s the part that admits entry is possible, even if Rudolf doesn’t want to admit it.”

Kliff had always seemed to _get_ the Metaverse in a way the rest of them didn’t. “Thank you.”

“You’re on your own from here.” His voice was clipped, meaning he was still mad. “I have to help the others. I just hope that stupid luck of yours holds for all of us.”

Alm hesitated. He tried to contact Celica through the turnwheel, but she didn’t respond. Only her emotions were hitting him—a wave of panic that was nearly overwhelming; _tired, so tired;_ grief—

He snarled and made Dimitri raise the spear again. One of Celica’s friends might already be hurt and it could be her next. With a scream of defiance, he drove the spear directly at the tiny keyhole. The door remained intact, but the keyhole suddenly grew bigger—it began to shrink again before his eyes as the door repaired itself.

_Oh no you don’t!_

Alm drove the spear forward again and the door shattered.

Shards of gold flew towards him like arrowheads, scoring deep cuts in his skin as Alm raised the turnwheel his eyes… but nothing followed them and when he cautiously lowered his arm, he was relieved to see the door now had no keyhole at all, only a handle, and stood ajar.

 _The Shadow has a strength in fire,_ Alm remembered. He switched to _Arvis_ as he barrelled through the doorway. _I’ll need to be immune until I can discover its weakness._

The room beyond was little more than a blank, cavernous space, and the Shadow which patrolled it was a giant knight clad in black armour, or a disturbing parody of one—the horse’s hooves chipped, its skin oozing blood, and the knight’s hand on its sword showed necrotic, blackened flesh.

That rot didn’t hamper its strength, though. Alm met the first blow of its sword with his own and buckled under the weight, jarring all the bones in his body and he was forced to his knees. It was not only strong in fire, but physically powerful as well. If not for _Dimitri’s_ weakness to fire, Alm would have changed persona again, but…

He dived out of the way of another swing, the sword missing him by only inches. _Arvis_ possessed one Zio spell, and he might as well try it – he needed to discover the Shadow’s weakness before it was too late.

Alm paused for a second to gather the energy for the Zio spell, but he was forced to duck another swing that would have cleaved through his head. The electricity dissipated through his hands, making them spasm. He dropped his sword with a hiss, but he didn’t have the time to pick it back up before he was forced to move again.

Alm gritted his teeth. He wasn’t as good at the elemental spells as Faye, Tobin, or Delthea, but he’d never get anywhere if he couldn’t manage to cast one on the move. And Celica…

He stood, poised on the balls of his feet, as the Shadow raised the sword again. His hands began to cramp from the tension of maintaining awareness and beginning the spell until—

The sword came down and Alm threw himself to the side, rolling with the Zio spell cradled protectively in his hands. As he came to his feet, still crouching, the spell reached its peak and _Arvis’s_ hands matched his as they cast it. The Shadow shrieked and its next intended blow went awry, landing a few feet short of Alm’s position.

He used the stolen moment of peace to run and scoop up his sword again. The spell had seemed to do a significant amount of damage, but he couldn’t tell if it had found a weak spot without confirmation from Kliff. Still, it gave him a plan of action. He began to prepare another _Zio—_

The knight roared and was surrounded with a bright glow, leaving spots in front of Alm’s eyes.

… _What was that?_

With a burst of speed that took Alm by surprise, the Shadow lurched forward. Alm yelped and tried to use his turnwheel as a shield, but it did little to soften the blow of the sword – it drove straight through the turnwheel and left a gash in Alm’s side. He wheezed, clutching the wound, as the turnwheel repaired itself. Dia, he needed a Dia spell—which—

There was no time to think; the knight was too fast now. With contemptuous ease, it batted Alm aside. He managed to change persona to _Oswin_ so that landing against the wall left him winded and shaken instead of broken to pieces.

He blinked, trying to orient himself and struggle to his feet. His vision was a little blurry and the knight a dark smudge in his line of sight, but he could see that it wasn’t moving towards him. Why…?

With a jolt like jumping into an over warm bath, Alm’s wounds closed up and his head cleared.

“You are so lucky I’m as good as I am,” Kliff’s voice hissed in his ear.

Faye sounded squeaky, belying the dark expression on her face as she ran over and helped him to his feet. “Alm, how could you do that? We were so worried!”

“Better now. Thanks for the save,” he said.

She sighed.

“You actually managed to find its weakness!” Kliff said, the words dripping with sarcasm. “I would be impressed if you didn’t almost kill yourself doing it.”

“Let’s just concentrate on getting this over with – Celica and her team are still in trouble!” Faye said, patting Alm’s arm.

“Yes, some help might be nice!” came Gray’s voice.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Tobin asked.

“Chopped liver might—” There was a _clang_ of metal clashing and a grunt; Faye gasped and quickly cast a heal spell with _Marianne_ and Gray found the time to finish with: “—Might be a better distraction.”

“Now is not the time for your quips,” Kliff said. “Focus! Alm, cast your Zio spell again!”

Alm hadn’t expected the direction and scrambled to switch back to _Arvis_ before the Shadow could have its attention drawn away from Gray and Tobin. It was a tactic they’d used since their very first Palace because of how well the two played off each other, Gray fighting the boss Shadows one-on-one, with Tobin alternately distracting the Shadow with his own Garuspells and casting Tarukaja to make Gray’s hits count for more—

… _I’m an idiot! That’s what must have happened earlier!_

“Faye, cast Dekaja!”

“What?” She was already part-way through raising her hand for a healing spell, but lowered it after a blink. “O-Oh, right…”

“Gray’s injured!” Kliff cut in, low and clipped. “He needs healing _now.”_

Faye hesitated.

“Don’t worry – I got it!” Alm swapped to _Libra,_ his healer. “I don’t have any personas with the Dekaja spell, so you have to do it, Faye.”

“ _Now, Alm!_ ”

The recovery spell got to Gray just in time, closing up his wounds before Alm’s eyes. Even with the gash on his leg still healing up, Gray managed to dodge out of the way of another sword swing as Faye cast Dekaja, dispelling the Shadow’s speed boost. Alm spared a moment to give her a high five, which made her smile, despite the battle.

_Alright, now we’re on more even ground._

“We still have to work fast! Celica is counting on us!” he called. “Zio is the weakness, so me and Gray are going to pelt it with our spells—Faye and Tobin, you just hit it as hard as you can.”

“What about healing?” Faye asked. “It’s hard for me to attack if I have to look after everyone…”

“It’s a pretty dangerous strategy, Alm,” Tobin said.

Kliff’s voice cut in before Alm could protest. “This ought to help.”

A spark of magic zipped through Alm, making him twitch, but when he jerked his head towards the Shadow reflexively, the world seemed to move in slow motion.

“Don’t need healing if you can’t—” It was obvious when Kliff paused to take a deep breath. “—can’t be hit.”

Alm tightened his grip on his sword, keeping one hand free to gather the Zio spell. Turning the Shadow’s own strategy—a speed boost—back on it was exactly the kind of thing Kliff would come up with, but it had obviously taken a lot out of him. “Thank you.”

“Ha… you know I always have a trick up my sleeve,” Kliff said. “Now hurry up! Casting it on all of you means it will only last a short time, so don’t waste it!”

“On it,” Gray said. “Alm—three, two, one—”

He scrambled to match Gray’s timing, pouring more energy into the spell, but it was worth it when the two Zio struck simultaneously and the Shadow slumped, spasming with the electricity coursing through it. Alm swapped to _Dimitri_ and began pelting it with the persona’s strongest attacks, watching as everyone else – even Faye, who usually held back as their healer – did the same.

The Shadow began to move its twitching limbs with more certainty. Alm hesitated, wondering if he should ask everyone else to pull back—

“Keep it up! It’s nearly finished!” Kliff said, silencing his doubts.

“Alm, I’ll spot you!” Gray called. “But you better make it count because I’m done after this one!”

Alm’s limbs were flooded with energy even as Gray spoke. His sword felt as light as a feather and when he leapt forward, his legs pushed him further than his own height. Tarukaja, to increase strength. Combined with _Dimitri’s_ already absurd might…

The stench of rot and mould filled Alm’s nostrils as he closed the distance. The knight raised its sword directly in the air, creating a wall of flames around it. Alm grit his teeth as sweat trickled down the back of his neck. Even being close to the fire felt like being burned, intense and painful. But he was so close—

 _Dimitri_ raised his lance as Alm did his sword, and when Alm brought his sword down, _Dimitri’s_ Brave Blade attacked crashed down directly through the top of the Shadow’s helmet, splitting rider and horse down the middle with enough power to shatter the floor underneath.

Shadows didn’t bleed, but it let out a scream like nails on a chalkboard as it sank into the ground, losing form as it went, until the last few drops of black ichor escaped through the cracks in the floor.

Alm’s chest was heaving as the energy provided by Kliff’s and Gray’s spells dissipated leaving him feeling empty and his muscles shaking. He sank to his knees, blinking stinging sweat out of his eyes.

_Celica…_

He groped for the turnwheel. His insides gnawed at themselves over the worry of what he might hear back, but it was worse to just be afraid for her and not know. ‘Celica… are you okay?’

* * *

Celica heard Alm’s voice echoing in her head a little after the barrier fell, surprising her enough that she almost dropped the unconscious Boey. She’d been so focused on simply getting everyone through the battle; switching to the right persona, being healer or defender as necessary, had taken so much of her that she had lost all sense of time or even of her own self.

She shook away the distraction and kept trudging up the stairs, grunting with the effort of placing one foot in front of the other. Saber had taken point, so she had to carry Boey herself – something only the strength of _Edelgard_ made possible. They just had to make it to the next floor, the second Layer, so they would be safe from the Shadows. Leon, Valbar, and Kamui covered the retreat, but they were tired enough themselves. She couldn’t afford to tarry, even to answer Alm.

Still, the feeling of his panic flooding her as he received no answer drew tears to her eyes. _I’m sorry I put you through this, Alm… Just a few more steps…_

Celica had never gotten used to the disorienting feeling of changing floors at the top of the staircases, a dizzying sensation of movement-without-movement as the Palace subtly shifted in mood – a constant reminder that Palaces were still constructs of the mind, as much as they resembled physical structures.

It was even worse in Mementos, but Rudolf’s Palace was not far off. Her stomach churned as she put her foot on the last step and abruptly stepped into a world of grey clouds and smog. The pristine city of before was hammered by rain, and black smoke of unknown origin rose from it, mingling with the clouds and shrouding the upper blocks from view.

Celica flinched as she felt a weight being lifted from her—Boey’s weight—but it was only Saber.

“I’ll take care of him, lass,” he said, as kind as his gruff manner would allow. “You take a minute to catch your breath.”

There were no enemies nearby, and as Valbar rose up the steps behind her, the last one in line, Celica nearly collapsed from relief. She wanted to laugh and cry and scream, all of it crowding her throat painfully and crushing it.

Leon patted her shoulder. “It’s alright. Everyone made it.”

Celica couldn’t talk. She only nodded. _Alm. Alm needs to know._

She put her hand to the turnwheel. ‘I’m sorry—’

‘ _Celica!’_ His answer came with a wave of relief that nearly tipped her over the edge into real hysteria. _‘Celica, thank the gods, what—how—’_

‘Everyone made it,’ she told him, words she’d been rehearsing over and over in her head in the hope they would be true. They poured out of her automatically. ‘But Boey took a bad hit and we’re all exhausted. We can’t continue today.’

‘ _No! No, of course not.’_ It was only then, through the haze of Alm’s worry, that she sensed his exhaustion. ‘ _We’re… we’re kinda out of it ourselves.’_

‘So we’re all leaving?’

‘ _Yeah. Don’t worry.’_ She had the sense of him giving her a crooked smile, something tired and a little forced but still warming and real and just like him. _‘We’ll see you out there very soon.’_

Celica nodded, only realising a moment later that Alm obviously wouldn’t see that. “Genny—”

Her voice cracked and barely made a whisper, but Genny heard anyway. “There’s no interference any more,” she said. “I can bring everyone home.”

She was muted herself. It must have been so scary for her, unable to do anything – and she’d given up her own protection to save them! Without the reinforcements, Celica didn’t know what they would have done.

“And this is only the _first_ Layer?” Kamui muttered to Leon.

Celica considered whether she should answer, but her thoughts were interrupted when a soft, pink light surrounded them all, filling her vision with brightness. When it faded, leaving her blinking spots out of her eyes, they were at the entrance again – and there stood Genny, unharmed, wringing her hands.

There were no words of comfort on her tongue. They needed her to say something – everyone was so tired – but she felt empty herself. She cleared her throat. “Alm… Alm and everyone should meet us outside. They’re leaving too.” It was too little. Her words felt stiff and awkward, but she had to add _something._ “Everyone… thank you for today. Let’s—let’s go home and rest now.”

Saber fell into step beside her as they filed out of the Palace, her naturally falling into her old habit of being at the back of the line to make sure everyone got out safely. The strange gown that had cloaked Celica when _Elincia_ first appeared to her, the clothes the Metaverse gave her, vanished as they crossed the threshold, and in the real world she was back in her school uniform. It seemed too pristine and tidy for someone so exhausted to be wearing.

Saber, of course, was in his usual leather jacket and the mixed military surplus gear that always drew the pair of them funny looks when they were out together. It was strange to think that she used to find him so scary, dressed like that, and now she associated the studded jacket with comfort, being placed over her shoulders without asking when it was cold. Saber was kinder than he looked. Celica often wondered, if her eldest brother was still alive, if he would treat her the same way.

“It was a close one,” he said.

Celica winced. He’d been trying to teach her self-defence, and this was how she repaid his lessons? “I’ll have to prepare more next time…”

He made a thoughtful hum under his breath. “Never seen a Palace behave like that before. Never.”

Considering that Saber had been fighting in the Metaverse for nearly fifteen years, that was very bad news indeed.

“Don’t worry too much about it, Princess,” he said, using the old nickname with unmistakable fondness. So he wasn’t disappointed? Angry? “I have some ideas. We’ll meet up later in the week, when you’re recovered.”

Celica nodded, and then all of her attention was torn away by someone shouting her name—

_Alm._

That was all the notice she had before he barrelled into her, wrapping her into a hug which quite literally swept her off her feet.

Celica burst into tears.

Alm seemed alarmed and set her on the floor again, but he didn’t object when she buried her face in his chest. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he said over and over, stroking her hair.

It _was,_ now. She could even hear Boey complaining of a headache; Genny must have used the last of her energy to heal him up a little before they left. Celica hadn’t even noticed. She hadn’t _realised_ just how scared she had ben until then, because everyone was safe – and she suddenly understood how lucky they were that that was the case.

The turnwheels didn’t link them together in the same way outside of the Metaverse, but she drew comfort from Alm’s warmth anyway. How could she do this? How could she protect him if she couldn’t even protect her own team from Shadows, things they’d fought hundreds of times?

“It’s okay, Celica,” Alm said. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”

_No, Alm. I promised you. I promised I’d protect you. I just… I just don’t now how that’s going to happen any more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the r/FanFiction March Monthly Challenge, a crossover special! The prompt was "Fire Emblem Echoes & Persona 5", but the Persona 5 influence has been kind of light. I also worked in one of the Fanworks Club discord server's monthly prompts: Questionable Actions. (Bless u Alm and Celica, lol.)
> 
> I have a plan for the rest of this fic and hope to finish it in a reasonable amount of time, but other chapters have yet to be written.
> 
> "Ad meliora" means "towards better things".


	2. Emperor 8 / Sun 9

In the hurry to investigate Rudolf and find his Palace in the Metaverse, Celica had neglected her schoolwork, and there were exams coming up in the next month. She happily threw herself into studying and catching up on homework for the next several days, ignoring Mae’s and Boey’s attempts to assure her it wasn’t her fault.

She knew they meant well, but without being able to explain to them what was really bothering her, it just made her feel guilty – Mila sent _her_ the vision. It was _her_ duty to prevent Alm’s fate, and so far, all that seemed to be happening was that she was putting him in more danger.

By Friday, however, it became clear that Mae and Boey had decided to stage an intervention. Saber was waiting for her outside of the school gates. He stuck out like a sore thumb near her expensive prep school, and Celica saw one of the teachers glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

Celica decided to stage an intervention of her own. “Don’t worry, sir, that’s my self-defence instructor.”

It was a half-truth. The teacher did not seem impressed, but not suspicious either, at least. “Arrange to meet your instructor elsewhere next time, Celica. It’s not appropriate for a man of his… age to be loitering around a high school.”

She was sure he’d intended to say ‘a man of his class’, instead, but she simply thinned her lips. Now was not really the time to press the issue. “Of course. I’m sorry if I troubled anybody.”

Maybe Saber had some idea of what they’d been discussing, because he rolled his eyes when she strode up to meet him. She remembered that he’d been equally suspicious of _her_ ‘blue blood’ manners when they first met, which was why he’d started calling her—

“Hey, Princess,” Saber said. “Were they about to call the police on me?”

“…I wish I could say otherwise, but they were a bit suspicious,” she replied. “You probably shouldn’t come to my school.”

“Won’t happen again, that’s for damn sure.” Saber started walking away, and for a moment – for a very brief moment – Celica considered just turning and walking her usual route home. But she’d already given the excuse to her teacher, and Saber might get in trouble…

She had to jog to catch up with his longer strides. “We didn’t arrange a meet up today.”

“Well, your friends have been blowing up my phone for the past two days,” Saber said, “so I thought it was about time I came before they got even more annoying.”

Celica sighed. “I just…”

“Got stuck in your own head?” Saber supplied dryly. “You can’t move forward if you keep obsessing over everything that went wrong.”

She ducked her head and didn’t reply. If she just had the courage to tell them, but—

“To tell you the truth, though, it’s got me a little worried, too,” he continued. “Ain’t never seen a Palace behave that way before – even after you guys came and messed everything up.”

“That wasn’t _us,_ ” Celica protested. “Mila said it happened before we even arrived.”

Before she and Alm came to the city, according to Saber, Palaces used to be one construct, so anybody could take them on and defeat the Shadow within if they were strong enough. Now, however, the two sides of the Palaces—the _Id_ and the _Superego_ , or at least that’s what Nomah said they broadly represented—could only be accessed with her and Alm’s Wild Card powers. But the change in the Palaces happened before Celica and Alm unlocked their powers. Mila had said the Metaverse was adapting, which is why she gave them her turnwheels in the first place.

Celica longed to ask her more, but with Mila missing, it was impossible. Maybe after Rudolf’s Palace… _if_ they could make it through Rudolf’s Palace.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Saber took a packet of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket, paused, frowned at them, and then put them back. “Anyway, the point is, we need to talk seriously about this Palace.”

Celica swallowed. “Right.”

“Been thinking it might be the time to try something like this with you, anyway. Not like I got much more fighting techniques to teach you. It’s all about practise now.”

She hadn’t really noticed with everything else, but they weren’t taking their usual route to Saber’s martial arts studio. “Where _are_ we going, then?”

“’S just at the end of this block.”

Her curiosity piqued, Celica followed Saber to the end of the street. He stopped just before the road turned, holding open a door to a tiny shop. With black writing on a green background, it said, _Cakes and Ladders. Board game cafe._

Celica blinked at the sign, wondering if this was his idea of a practical joke, until he snorted and said, “I ain’t gonna stand out here all day, Princess,” and she scurried inside.

Although the walls were crammed full of board games, the shop itself still felt light and airy with sunshine streaming through the windows. It was nearly empty apart from a pair of women playing some kind of complex… cyberpunk card game?

“We’ll need a big table. Grab that one in the corner while I grab us some drinks. What do you want?”

Celica was still having a bit of a surreal experience and it took her a moment to register what he said. “Um… peppermint tea, please.”

Saber snorted and muttered something under his breath. Celica took a seat at the table he’d pointed too before things could get any stranger. The shelves were wall to wall and filled with board games she’d had no idea existed. Actually, she wasn’t sure she’d been aware of the _concept_ of a board games cafe before – especially not as somewhere that Saber would frequent.

He must have been a few times before, though, because when he dropped off the drinks, it was two unhesitating strides before he found the game he was looking for and that joined them on the polished wooden surface.

“ _Risk?_ ” Celica asked. “Isn’t that… a strategy war game?”

“Oh, you’ve heard of it,” Saber said. “Good. I won’t have to explain the most basic of basics.” He opened the box and started to set it up. “It’s not directly applicable to what we’re doing. It’s just to get you thinking.”

“Is that what you wanted to work on, then? Strategy?”

“Sure.” He paused, one of the game pieces still in his hand. “Oh, if anyone asks what we’re talking about, it’s a custom DnD campaign, yeah?”

“A…” Celica shook her head. “Okay. I guess that makes sense.”

It felt bizarre that Saber should even know what Dungeons and Dragons was, but she supposed she’d learnt already that there was more to him than met the eye.

For a while, their discussion was nothing more than the rules of the game and advising Celica on what she should do. The rules were relatively simple, but the possibilities of the game were what made it complex. She often found herself erring for several minutes over the simplest of decisions, or decisions that seemed like they should be simple. Saber never lost his patience, despite all her uncertainty.

After a while of playing in relative quiet, Saber asked, “Do you know what the weirdest part of Rudolf’s Palace was?”

Celica frowned, distracted by her examination of the board. Saber’s forces were now approaching her lands from two sides, and she wasn’t sure how best to prepare for attack. “The weirdest part?”

“It was both sides working together. Like they knew what each one was planning.”

She froze. It had all been such a panic at the time, but—yes, now that Saber drew her attention to it, it was strange. In all their previous adventures, the two separate sides of the Palace had not seemed to know about each other at all. If Alm’s party was discovered sneaking around the _Id,_ the enemy’s awareness didn’t increase inside the _Superego._ Nomah, their guide in the Velvet Room, had suggested that was the point – or hinted as much in his own oblique way. The _Id_ was the suppressed self, whilst the _Superego_ was the idealised self. They were part of the same mind, so of course there were times when what happened in one half affected the other – like the Anchors for a barrier being found in the other side of the Palace – but neither was aware of those links.

Or at least, it had been that way up to now. Yet in Rudolf’s Palace, the Shadows had coordinated – they’d known when Celica and her team were trapped against the barrier. They knew they couldn’t get past until the Anchor was destroyed on the other side.

“If they can coordinate, then…” Celica frowned. “Then… I don’t know. I don’t know what they’re capable of. How could this happen?”

“Who knows?” Saber snorted. “Maybe Rudolf just has a well organised mind. Or he’s particularly self-aware.”

Her frown deepened. She stared at the board game pieces, but she wasn’t really seeing them. “They already ambushed us once…” In a way, she supposed, that wasn’t actually too dissimilar to what she and Alm had done before—lying in wait outside of a boss Shadow’s territory, knowing the other party would lift the barrier soon from their inside.

If she thought about it like that, then…

The pieces of the board were swept into two groups. Timed Anchors—especially then it was a Twinned Anchor, and something needed to be opened on both sides of the Palace to open a path—that would be a perfect time to throw more foes in their way to slow them down, just like how they sometimes used a larger than normal team to make sure they could reach their goal in the time. When they took advantage of locking and unlocking doors to separate powerful enemies from each other, the Palace could do the same…

“I know that look,” Saber said. She knew him well enough to detect the underlying warmness in his gruff voice. “You always get there in there end.”

Celica looked down at the table, feeling her cheeks turn slightly pin under the praise. When they’d first met Saber, he’d been crabby and grouchy and insisted on leading their teams himself – it was only when it became obvious that no one other than Celica herself could keep track of all her personas and incorporate that variety into their strategies that Saber had, begrudgingly, begun to teach her. To hear him express such faith in her… it really meant a lot.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Huh? What for?”

“I couldn’t have done it without your help.” Celica looked back at the pieces on the board and made her move, advancing on one of his positions as a pre-emptive strike. “You’re a really good teacher! Have you thought about taking on more students?”

Saber frowned at her. “Now, lass, don’t get the wrong idea just because I’m helping _you_ out. I’m not the ‘teaching’ type. Can you imagine me in a suit? Like the snobs at your school?”

“I don’t mean in a classroom,” she said. “You could teach self-defence. You already have access to that studio.” She folded her arms on the table and watched as Saber considered his move. “I think you’re a very good teacher.”

“Thanks for the compliment, but the student matters as much as the teacher.” Saber absent-mindedly moved some reinforcements to the position she’d attacked. “I ain’t got the patience to deal with someone who don’t want to learn. Hell, I was that kid once… that’s why I am where I am right now. Teaching a kid like that is useless."

“Maybe you just needed some guidance.” Celica thought about Genny, the story she’d told Celica about having to move schools due to bullying. But she was flourishing now. All she needed was some encouragement. “Sometimes it’s the environment that’s the problem. Or the lessons that are being taught.”

Saber snorted. “Your optimism is cute.”

“You said I was a hopeless case when you first started teaching me,” she said. “And look at me now!”

He paused, his hand on one of the game pieces. “That was different,” he replied, after a moment. “I thought you’d be more like those other little shits at your school.”

“And Mae and Boey?”

“They’re scholarship kids,” he said dismissively. “That’s another thing altogether.”

He finally took his turn, and Celica winced at seeing her army so decimated. There was no way she could win from _this_ position.

“Enough of this now.” Saber shook his head. “You know where you went wrong?”

“I overextended?”

“Right. What you want to do in this situation is…”

She didn’t mention the idea of teaching again, even when he walked her back to her bus stop to make sure she got home safely. For all his talk, Saber really was quite kind. Celica was sure he could reach a great number of people if he was just willing to take the chance… she thought she’d successfully planted a seed of doubt this time, at least.

“Thank you, Saber,” she said, seeing her bus approaching. “I had fun.”

He sighed. “That wasn’t the point, but whatever.”

He said that like he hadn’t been the one to take her to a _board game cafe._ A whole new side to Saber! Alm would find it hilarious, but maybe the Dungeons and Dragons campaign excuse would actually be useful for him and his friends.

“Stay safe now,” he told her, as she waved down her bus. “Message me later in the week when we’re going in again, yeah?”

Her heart sank at the thought. The smile slipped from her face, but she made an effort not to look too miserable when she said goodbye to Saber.

On the bus by herself, though, she couldn’t help but fret. The vision haunted her dreams more than she cared to admit, and often now, her nights were restless. It felt pressing in a way it had never been before. Something about Rudolf’s Palace reminded her so much of the vision… maybe the time when it could come to pass was approaching.

_I have to find some way to prevent it. More than anything else, I have to protect Alm…_

* * *

“Alm! Alm!”

He jerked his head at the sound of the familiar voice. Turning, he saw Clair running towards him. “Oh, hi! I thought you were going to be busy at the weekend, or I would’ve suggested we hang out somewhere.”

Clair’s chest was heaving when she caught up to him, but she was grinning. “It’s so wonderful to see you,” she told him, soon getting her breath back. She was the star of her school’s lacrosse team, Alm supposed. “My brother said things got difficult last time you went into the Palace, so I was worried you would be… upset.”

“Honestly, there wasn’t really time to be upset about it until it was over,” he said. “And by then…” By then, Celica had needed him. She had the most right to be scared of anyone.

Clair nodded, more subdued. “Just make sure to look after yourself, Alm, you hear? Everyone would be simply devastated if something were to happen to you! Including me.”

“I know,” Alm said. “But… thanks, Clair. And sorry for making you worry.”

“As long as you all came back in one piece, there is nothing to be sorry for.” She linked her arm through his and added, with a smile, “Now, since you have had a stressful week, you simply must let me get you something as a treat! Would you care for ice cream? Or cake? I know a delightful little patisserie which is only a few blocks away—”

“No, no, you don’t have to—”

“Please, I insist!” Clair’s smile faded as her shoulders slumped. “Really… all I can do for you and Clive is to help you feel more at ease… I sit here worrying about all of you, unable to do anything to help…”

Sometimes, Alm wondered if he’d done the right thing by telling Clair about the Metaverse. Clive had gone to such lengths to keep it from her for years, even when both he and his fiancée and their friends were fighting the Shadows there. But to Alm… after Grandfather—Mycen—disappeared without a word, Alm had found that the most terrible thing was not knowing. Imagine if Clair had gone on thinking that Clive was simply working overtime, or going out with friends – and the worst had happened, she’d have no answers at all.

No… it was better to know.

Still, Alm had doubts that wasn’t his own selfishness getting the better of him. Having a friend to talk to honestly – someone who knew about the Metaverse, but who was removed from everything they did there – was such a relief that he wondered if it wasn’t wishful thinking on his part… something to justify his own need to have someone to talk to.

“Clair, really, you don’t have to do anything like that.” When she frowned at him, he scowled right back until she giggled and her expression cleared. “I mean it! Having you as a friend is more than enough.”

She shook her head, the blonde ponytail swaying back and forth with the movement. “All the same, as your _friend,_ please let me do something nice for you. You deserve it!”

A suspicion wormed its way into Alm’s head. “You’re not doing this to avoid studying for those tests, are you? I thought you and Clive finally agreed that—”

“No! Not at all!” Clair replied, although she must have realised her haste to deny it made her look more guilty, because she soon added, “Honestly, I’ve arranged to study later with… a friend.”

The significant pause before ‘a friend’ made him raise his eyebrows.

“With Gray,” she admitted.

“Uh oh.” Alm shook his head. “Do I need to get the class rankings out for you again?”

Clair gave a rather unladylike snort. “After the dressing down he received from me lasttime, I think he is not stupid enough to try _that_ again.” She looked down, a faint pink colour dusting her cheeks. “Actually, he… he simply said I could come over to his place whilst the house was empty and he would wait on me ‘hand and foot’ so that I could concentrate on studying, because I said I always got distracted at home or if I went out… it was actually rather sweet.”

Right, Alm’s mother and sisters worked nights, so they were out of the house a lot in the evenings. “Would you look at that? Gray’s finally getting his act together.”

She looked up at him from under her lashes, biting her lip. “You didn’t say anything to him, did you?”

“I promised I wouldn’t, didn’t I?” Alm grinned. “The only advice I’ve given Gray is normal stuff that he needs to hear all the time anyway.”

“Such as?”

“Stop being an idiot.”

Clair laughed, as Alm had hoped she might. “I will take this as a good sign, then. Not that I intend to promise him anything, but…” Despite her words, her smile when she was talking about him was soft. “Now that he is being more himself, spending time with him has been rather… fun.”

Gray did have a certain charm about him when he wasn’t being an asshole. Alm had promised himself he wouldn’t interfere – on either’s behalf, to be fair – but he was secretly cheering for the both of them.

Clair shook herself suddenly. “But this is not what we were discussing! Do not think you can put me off by changing the subject! Let us do something nice together. What would you like, Alm?”

He knew this was her own way of being thoughtful and looking out for him, as much as Alm had tried to explain that it wasn’t entirely… comfortable to have things brought for you all the time. Clair’s logic, of course, was since she had more money than Alm, why should she not buy coffees and teas and treats and whatever else all the time, and it was nice that she was trying, but, well… Alm had always been quite independent.

“Why don’t we go to the park?” Alm said. “I know it’s a weekend, but it’s a bit cloudy, so I don’t think it will be too busy.”

Clair’s face fell. “Training at the park? But we do that all the time!”

“Well, I like the normal way that we hang out together,” Alm said stubbornly.

She sighed, but she was smiling. “If it would really make you feel better… I haven’t had much chance to train this week because of studying for the exams, so it would be nice to do a proper routine.”

That reminded him that he needed to send Celica a good luck message for her exams, too – but he could do that a little later.

“That’s the spirit!” Alm grinned. “Come on, it’s not far from here – I’ll race you there.”

Despite his best intentions, after their normal routine of workouts at the park, Clair persuaded him to go to a cafe with her after, and of course she insisted on paying. Still, at least it was a random coffee chain and not the expensive pastry shop she’d been thinking of.

They took a table together by the window.

“Oh, look, we finished just in time,” Clair said. “It’s starting to rain.”

“We might have to find somewhere else to train,” Alm said. “Ugh… That’s not going to be fun, being cooped up indoors all the time.”

“Do you still miss the countryside, then?” she asked.

He frowned out the window instead of answering immediately, watching as the light shower turned into a heavy downpour and everyone ran for cover. “In some ways… I guess. It still feels cramped and too busy. But it’s also nice that there’s always something to do.”

When he turned back to Clair, she was beaming. “I knew you’d grow to love our city eventually! Did my showing you the sights help? Surely they made an impression on you!”

“Yes, Clair, they were great.” Although Alm didn’t think he’d ever be much of an art person. He’d been bewildered by all the galleries she took him around. “But… I don’t know… they don’t really feel like ‘the city’ to me.”

“What do you mean?”

Alm pointed across the street. By the subway exit, a man in a worn tracksuit was holding his large umbrella over himself and a college-aged girl with dyed red hair whilst she dug around in her bag. As she pulled out her own umbrella and put it up, he took away the shelter of his. The girl nodded to him and then they went their separate ways. They hadn’t exchanged a word throughout the entire thing.

“ _That,_ ” Alm said. “That is what this city feels like to me.”

Clair’s face was the picture of confusion.

“Don’t you remember?” he pressed. “When we took the subway to the museum and you got turned around by the diversion, that old woman who gave you the alternate route?”

“Oh…” She nodded slowly. “She was very nice. But I still don’t see what you mean.”

“It’s the people that make up a city, not the places,” Alm said. “And the people… little acts of kindness like that have made it really feel like home.”

Clair sighed. “If you put it like that, maybe I don’t know the city very well, either… before you came, I would never have dared to go wandering around by myself… I thought it was too dangerous.”

Clive’s overprotectiveness – not to mention Fernand’s… everything – hadn’t helped that, no doubt, but Alm kept that thought to himself. “You’re still part of the city, Clair. Actually, you’re exactly the kind of person I’m talking about.”

She blinked. “Hm? What could you possibly mean?”

“Clair, don’t you remember? You saw me outside your school waiting for Celica, looking lost, and you came right up to me and offered to show me around!”

For some reason, she blushed. “Well… that wasn’t entirely selfless on my part…”

Alm laughed. “I’m still glad you did it. I’ve seen so much with you! And I made a good friend. I’m really grateful.”

“Yes.” Clair smiled. “No matter what, I’m really glad to have met you too, Alm. You helped me find the courage to stand up to my brother… now I can be a professional lacrosse player, just as I wished to!” She took a delicate sip of her tea. “But I would so dislike it if we had to stop training together… I will find us somewhere else to go if the park is going to be off limits in the near future. And it will be another part of the city we can explore together!”

Alm grinned. “Sure, Clair. That sounds great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could find the time to explore everyone's full Social Link, but I had to settle for breadth rather than depth, so you'll have to make do with the implied storylines here XD Back into the Palace for the next chapter, let me know if you enjoyed this one!


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